In this video I’m telling the story of one of the most surprising deaths in National Park history: Randy Morgenson, a longtime backcountry ranger in Sequoia–Kings Canyon. The wild part is that Randy wasn’t some unprepared tourist—this was a guy who lived out there, did routine patrols from his backcountry post, and knew the wilderness like the back of his hand. And still, in 1996, he vanished on what should’ve been a normal patrol. I walk through what made his disappearance so shocking, how the search unfolded, and why this case stuck with so many people. The big takeaway for me is that the outdoors don’t care how experienced you are—things can go sideways fast, even on “routine” days. If you ride, hike, or camp in remote places (especially solo), this is a reminder to stack the odds in your favor with planning, communication, and gear that’s actually reliable—without needing to spend a fortune to do it.